Food product



Patented June 18, 1957 noon PRODUCT tummy, and Harry R. Di Pietro,

Frank P. Colten ssignors to General Foods Corpo- Watertown,

ration, White Pla as, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. .Applieation April 21, 1955, 1 Serial No. 503,018

6 Claims. ((31. 992s) The present invention relates to improved confectioners coatings of the chocolate type and more particularly such coatings having increased resistance to deterioration and off-flavor development.

With the great increase in the price of cacao that has occurred in recent years the chocolate industry has been forced to an ever-increasing degree to the production of artificial chocolate materials. These efforts have largely centered on the substitution of cocoa butter with less expensive vegetable fats modified by hydrogenation, fractionation, and the like to provide physical properties, with particular regard to melting characteristics, very similar to those of cocoa butter. Difiiculty has been experienced with such artificial chocolate coatings in the development .of musty off-flavors, sometimes described also as soapiness.

It has been found that this deterioration is accelerated when the artificial chocolate materials are subjected to high humidities and temperatures. Also, fats in which a relatively high proportion of the fatty acid combined with the glycerol is laurie acid are especially subject to such deterioration. While such fats by themselves are not particularly prone to deteriorate, mixture of the fat with cocoa powder renders the fat subject to deterioration. Apparently the cocoa butter normally associated with the cocoa powder is relatively resistant to the deterioration while other vegetable fats, especially those with high proportions of the lauric acid residue in the triglyceride structure, such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil, are much less resistant.

It has now been found that the above-described deterioration of fat when associated with cocoa powder can be greatly retarded and for all practical purposes prevented by incorporating an alkali-N-lauroyl sarcosinate into the vegetable fat-cocoa powder mixture. Sodium-N- lauroyl sarcosinate, for example, has the following formula:

Other alkali sarcosinates include those of potassium, ammonium, lithium, rubidium and cesium. The alkali-N- lauroyl sarcosinate is employed at low levels, a level of about 02% being preferred. Lower levels of the alkali- N-lauroyl sarcosinate may be employed with less effective protection. Higher levels are not usually employed because generally additional protection is not needed as a practical matter. Also, the levels above 0.2% alkali-N- lauroyl sarconsinate do not provide proportionately increased protection.

While the need for the alkali-N-lauroyl sarcosinate is most pronounced with other vegetable fats and oils when admixed with cocoa powder, it is also beneficial with coooa butter-cocoa powder mixtures, e. g., chocolate liquor, bitter, sweet and milk chocolate, and the like.

The alkali-N-lauroyl saroonsinate may be incorporated into the vegetable fat-cocoa powder mixture in any suitable manner as by dissolving the alkali-N-lauroyl sarcosinate in the melted vegetable fat which is most conveniently done atthe time of admixing the cocoa powder and other ingredients such as sugar, milk solids, and like chocolate ingredients. The alkali-N-lauroyl sarconsinate may be premixed with the cocoa powder, milk solids and/ or sugar before incorporation into the fat. Also, the alkali-N-lauroyl sarcosin'ate may be applied to the surface of the vegetable fat-cocoa powder product although this provides less effective protection and is less practical being limited essentially to treatment of the final product.

While the invention has been described above with reference to specific examples, it is not to be limited thereby but reference is to be had to the appended claims for a definition of its scope.

While definition of the invention or the scope of the appended claims is not to be restricted by theoretical considerations, it will be understood that the aforementioned deterioration of the confectioners coating, whether cocoa butter or other vegetable fat is employed, is believed due for the most part to the development of free lauric acid giving rise to the off-flavors described as mustiness, soapiness, and the like.

What is claimed is:

l. A oonfectioners coating comprising a vegetable fat, cocoa powder and an alkali-N-l-auroyl sarcosinate, said sarcosinate being present in an amount effective to prevent substantially the development of off-flavors in said coating.

2. A confectioners coating comprising a vegetable fat in which a relatively high proportion of the fatty acid combined with the glycerol is lauric acid, cocoa powder and an alkali-N-lauroyl sarcosinate, said sarcosinate being present in an amount effective to prevent substantially the development of off-flavors in said coating.

3. A confectioners coating comprising a vegetable fat in which a relatively high proportion of the fatty acid combined with the glycerol is lauric acid, cocoa powder and an alkali-N-lauroyl sarcosi'nate at a level of about 0.2%.

4. A confectioners coating comprising a vegetable fat in which a relatively high proportion of the fatty acid combined with the glycerol is lauric acid, cocoa powder and sodium-N-lauroyl sarconsinate at a level of about and ammonium-N-lauroyl sarcosinate at a level of about References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Veatch Jan. 30, 1940 Cross Feb. 19, 1952 King Sept. 14, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Food Technology, 1951, vol. V, No. 7, pages 288-290. 

2. A CONFECTIONERS COATING COMPRISING A VEGETABLE FAT IN WHICH A RELATIVELY HIGH PROPORTION OF THE FATTY ACID COMBINED WITH THE GLYCEROL IS LAURIC ACID, COCOA POWDER AND AN ALKALI-N-LAUROYL SARCOSINATE, SAID SARCOSINATE BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT SUBSTANTIALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFF-FLAVORS IN SAID COATING. 